Medical applications of fast 3D cameras in real-time image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) of cancer

Abstract

Dynamic volumetric medical imaging (4DMI) has reduced motion artifacts, increased early diagnosis of small mobile tumors, and improved target definition for treatment planning. High speed cameras for video, X-ray, or other forms of sequential imaging allow a live tracking of external or internal movement useful for real-time image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). However, none of 4DMI can track real-time organ motion and no camera has correlated with 4DMI to show volumetric changes. With a brief review of various IGRT techniques, we propose a fast 3D camera for live-video stereovision, an automatic surface-motion identifier to classify body or respiratory motion, a mechanical model for synchronizing the external surface movement with the internal target displacement by combination use of the real-time stereovision and pre-treatment 4DMI, and dynamic multi-leaf collimation for adaptive aiming the moving target. Our preliminary results demonstrate that the technique is feasible and efficient in IGRT of mobile targets. A clinical trial has been initiated for validation of its spatial and temporal accuracies and dosimetric impact for intensity-modulated RT (IMRT), volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of any mobile tumors. The technique can be extended for surface-guided stereotactic needle insertion in biopsy of small lung nodules.